Jun 29, 2009
Café Rouge, Bella Italia and Strada Pocketing Tips
The Observer again exposes the morally bankrupt scum that run Tragus; the company which owns Café Rouge, Bella Italia and Strada. Tragus pockets tips paid on cards by customers instead of passing them on to staff, which effectively allows the company to pay staff less than the minimum wage.
However tips paid in cash go directly to staff – so Tragus’ response is to employ undercover diners to make sure staff do not encourage customers to pay cash; if they do they face the sack – come to that staff seem to face the sack for a number of things including talking to journalists.
As an unnamed waitress employed by Tragus says
If you want to help Tragus pay my wages (around 14% of it), then leave a tip on your credit card. However, if you want to tip me for the service you have received, I’d be very grateful for a couple of quid in the tip tray. Jamie Elliott, The Observer.
As I’ve said before don’t eat at these places then you won’t be faced with the choice of helping Tragus pay their staff, possibly helping someone get the sack by paying cash or just being rude by not leavening a tip at all.
You don’t even get to keep all the cash tips. The first 10% of service tip still goes towards topping up a £2.50 wage!
I always pay cash, as I just do not trust restaurant managers – I worked in one for long enough! Where I used to work, the tips would all be added up and then split between the waiters, chefs, bar staff, with the waiting staff getting a larger cut, then bar, then chefs. But everyone got a bit, no individual tips. Good if everyone pulls their weight, not good if you have some slackers!